US singer and song-writer John Mayer has received Botox injections to help him regain his voice after undergoing surgery. The musician lost his voice after he developed a granuloma on his vocal cords and had to have an operation to remove the growth, in an attempt to restore his singing voice. The granuloma unfortunately returned and surgeons decided to try Botox injections to freeze the vocal chords while they healed.

Dr Gwen Korovin said that Botox stops the vocal chords meeting ‘it paralyses the muscles so that you cannot bring the vocal folds together. That allows them to rest so the area isn’t banging into each other.’

Although Botox is predominantly used for cosmetic purposes – to get rid of facial lines and wrinkles, it also has numerous medical uses, such as relief from migraine pain and to reduce excessive underarm sweating. Mayer described to process of having the injections as ‘fascinating’, he went on to say that the needles used during the treatment were not too intimidating, commenting that ‘it’s a small enough needle that you don’t go totally berserk when you see it.’

The treatment was initially carried out in October last year and the growth has now shrunk considerably, although it will still be some time before the overall results are noticeable – Mayer is hoping to be fighting-fit by the summer so that he can resume touring.

A man from Cumbria has been given the chance to go back to work after spending nearly fifteen years off sick due to crippling migraines; Steven Howes, of Fletchertown, was left unable to hold down a job because of his condition and instead stayed at home to be a full-time dad to his two children. Thanks to pioneering Botox injections at Carlisle’s Cumberland Infirmary, he has seen a dramatic improvement and is currently retraining as a primary school teacher.

The 33-year-old began suffering from severe migraines after an unprovoked attack in 1998 and an accident with a tractor in 2000 left him with brain injuries that later developed into debilitating migraines. Steven said ‘The headaches used to get so bad she [wife Rebecca] would have to drop everything to come home and look after the kids because I wasn’t capable. No medication worked.’

Botox was approved for use with chronic migraines in May last year and consultant Yogendra Jagatsinh said that the infirmary had used the treatment with six patients so far, saying ‘every one of them has a seen a very good improvement.’ Steven commented that the procedure had ‘completely transformed’ his life, adding ‘I started treatment in July and my wife has not had to take a single day off work since then. I’ve wanted to be a teacher for a few years but never dreamed I’d even be able to do the training.’

People who suffer with severe migraines will now be offered Botox injections free on the NHS, to try and combat the condition; the anti-aging drug has been provisionally approved for treatment of headaches, nausea, and dizziness. Around 700,000 people struggle with chronic migraine symptoms in the UK – which is defined as having a headache every other day or a full migraine for at least eight days out of the month.

The procedure involves administering Botox to the head and neck, which then relaxes the muscles and paralyses the areas of tissue that trigger migraines. In February this year a study was published stating that there was not enough evidence to show that the injections worked in this capacity, but drugs rationing body NICE (National Institute for health and Clinical Excellence) made a dramatic U-turn on the subject and the treatment will become available provisionally in June – after the final guidelines have been completed.

At about £350 a time, the thirty injections are provided as a top-up service every three months or so, which works out at about £1,400 a year for every patient who receives them as part of on-going treatment for migraines; a price which most would agree is not too much to deal with this debilitating illness. It has been recommended that Botox be used only after at least three other medications have not helped alleviate the condition – initial research has suggested that 70% of patients have seen a 50% reduction in migraine symptoms.

People contemplating getting Botox to improve their physical appearance could be surprised to hear the treatment can also be used for medical reasons.

Producer of the substance Allergan has revealed the anti-wrinkle injections could be used more frequently to treat medical ailments, Reuters reports.

This comes after recent statistics found the company attained strong sales results from the first quarter of 2011, reporting a ten per cent increase in profits.

Although sales over the previous year were used for mostly cosmetic purposes, company bosses suggest the injections will more frequently treat medical issues.

The substance has provided significant relief for migraine sufferers, as well as children living with cerebral palsy.

Allergan's chief executive David Pyott predicted Botox sales for medical purposes will soon outweigh that of the cosmetic procedure.

Cerebral Palsy Source suggests the substance can be effective in strengthening a patient's weak muscles when coupled with physical therapy sessions.

A growing number of doctors and patients have cited Botox as an effective treatment for migraines.

Dr Chris Snijman, spokesperson for the Association of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons in South Africa, told Times Live that a number of patients have experienced reduced headache symptoms after a Botox injection.

Although more commonly used as an anti-wrinkle procedure, the jab is now officially licensed for the treatment of headaches in several countries.

"If you paralyse the specific muscle group, you will decrease tension on the nerve and this can abort the initiation of a migraine," Dr Snijman explained.

Pinkie Fullenwider, an American woman who has experienced regular migraines for 50 years, said Botox injections have helped to reduce the pain and lessen the duration of her headaches.

She told the Journal and Courier in Indiana: "If I keep up with them, [the migraines] won't be as severe as before."

In the UK, Botox was approved for the treatment of chronic migraines in July last year.

Botox has been recommended by two healthcare practitioners as a possible treatment for chronic migraines.

The drug has been used in Britain in the fight against the condition for some time and Dr Michael Sowell told the Louisville-Kentucky Journal that it may help to reduce the frequency, severity or duration of headache episodes.

He pointed out that migraines are a "disability" that can affect every aspect of a person's life.

Dr Vince Martin from the University of Cincinnati agreed, commenting that Botox may be useful for migraine patients who have side effects from other therapies.

However, Dr Sowell urged people not to see Botox as a magic bullet, pointing out that it must be used along with other methods of pain relief.

Last month, migraine sufferer Marie Mulholland told My Fox Tampa Bay her condition was made much better through the use of Botox, resulting in her hardly suffering any headaches anymore.
 

A team of experts have spoken out in support of Botox as a treatment for migraines and chronic headaches.

Sheena Aurora, director of the Swedish Pain and Headache Centre in Seattle, told the Wall Street Journal that "Botox is probably the most well-studied therapy for chronic migraine and has the best evidence of efficacy".

Joel Saper, director of the Michigan Headache and Neurological Institute, told the news provider that although it cannot help everyone who suffers, it does significantly improve the lives of some of them in his experience.

Meanwhile, Dr David Simpson from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine also said that side effects are very unlikely at the dosages used for migraines.

Last month, chronic headache sufferer Marie Mulholland told My Fox Tampa Bay that she is thrilled with Botox after the treatment stopped her from experiencing them so often.

She said she now feels like a human being again after years of suffering.
  

The US has followed in the UK's footsteps and given the all-clear for Botox to be used in the treatment of chronic migraines.

More than 1,300 patients were studied as part of trials for the drug, which is a purified form of botulinum.

The US Food and Drug Administration approved the treatment for official use after it was found that it could significantly reduce the number of headaches sufferers had per month, improving their quality of life.

In one of the studies, patients given the Botox had two fewer days with headaches than was the case before.

Botox was approved in the UK for treating migraines in July 2010 following similar studies.

It is thought that as many as 700,000 people in Britain suffer from chronic migraines.

Meanwhile, Botox can also successfully treat some of the symptoms of cerebral palsy, as well as jaw problems that can be created as a result of teeth grinding or clenching.
 

A new study has suggested that Botox treatment could help people who struggle with excessive salivation, such as those who have lost motor functions in their face.

Researchers at Radboud University in Holland gave the drug to 131 subjects with cerebral palsy or other neurological disorders, all of whom were unable to control their saliva.

After two months, more than half of the subjects were showing an improvement, while after eight months, the dribbling was found to be much less severe.

The effects were still showing up after 12 months, the scientists found.

“Its safety and efficacy make botulinum toxin (Botox) a useful first-line invasive treatment if conservative measures have failed,” explained the researchers.

Other secondary benefits found during the study included improved oral hygiene and better speech.

Botox could also be helpful to migraine sufferers, with Mark Weatherall from the Migraine Trust recently telling the Sun it could halve the number of headaches people get.
 

Migraine sufferers may be able to learn when they are about to have an attack and could then have Botox to prevent it.

Writing for lifestyle website Helium, Kevin Goleski said migraines are thought to be linked to the fifth cranial nerve, which is linked to the face and jaw.

He said flashing lights in the eyes can be a symptom of an impending migraine, as can growing numbness in the arms or legs.

“Your attacks follow a similar manner, thus you have a good indication when a migraine is going to attack,” he pointed out.

Anyone who finds they are getting migraines very frequently may benefit from Botox treatment.

Mark Weatherall from the Migraine Trust recently told the Sun it could halve the number of headaches sufferers get and may assist them in getting their lives back in particularly debilitating cases.

He said it could also help those with cerebral palsy, although it is not a miracle treatment.